My Child Snores at Night: When Is It Something to Worry About?
Hearing your child snore can be worrying, especially when it happens night after night.
An occasional noisy night when your child has a cold or blocked nose isn't unusual. But regular snoring in children, particularly when accompanied by mouth breathing, restless sleep or other changes, may be worth looking into.
So, when is snoring simply snoring, and when should you seek further advice?
Is snoring normal in children?
Children can occasionally snore when they have a cold, congestion or temporary nasal blockage.
However, frequent snoring shouldn't be ignored, particularly if you notice other changes in your child's breathing or quality of sleep.
Snoring happens when airflow through the upper airway becomes turbulent enough to cause the surrounding tissues to vibrate.
The important question is therefore not simply:
“Does my child snore?”
but:
“Why is my child snoring?”
Why does my child snore at night?
There isn't one single cause of snoring in children.
Possible contributors can include:
nasal congestion or allergies
enlarged tonsils or adenoids
difficulty breathing comfortably through the nose
structural differences within the nose or upper airway
sleeping position
oral and facial development
tongue posture and oral function
This is why I prefer to look at the bigger picture, rather than considering one symptom in isolation.
Signs to look for while your child is sleeping
If your child snores regularly, take a moment to observe how they actually sleep.
You may notice:
sleeping with their mouth open
noisy or heavy breathing
restless or unsettled sleep
frequent changes in sleeping position
sweating during sleep
tooth grinding
unusual sleeping positions, such as extending the head or neck
waking frequently
pauses, gasping or struggling with their breathing
One sign alone doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem.
However, a pattern of several signs occurring regularly is worth discussing with an appropriate healthcare professional.
What about during the day?
Sleep concerns don't always remain in the bedroom.
If sleep is repeatedly disrupted, some children may also experience changes during the day.
Parents sometimes report:
difficulty waking in the morning
tiredness
irritability
difficulty concentrating
changes in behaviour
seeming unusually active or restless
waking with a dry mouth
morning headaches
These symptoms can have many different causes, so they shouldn't automatically be attributed to breathing or sleep.
They can, however, add another piece to the overall picture.
My child snores and breathes through their mouth. Are they connected?
They can be.
If a child is struggling to breathe comfortably through their nose, they may begin using their mouth as an alternative route for breathing.
This may be particularly noticeable during sleep.
Persistent mouth breathing is something I look at carefully because there may be several possible reasons for it, including nasal obstruction, congestion, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, established breathing patterns and oral or tongue function.
If mouth breathing is something you're noticing too, you can read my guide:
When might my child need to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist?
For some children, an ENT assessment can be an important part of understanding why they snore or struggle to breathe comfortably.
From an airway perspective, useful questions can include:
Is there nasal obstruction?
Are the adenoids or tonsils enlarged?
What do the turbinates and nasal lining look like?
Are there concerns about sleep-disordered breathing?
An airway-focused assessment does not replace ENT or medical assessment. Instead, different professionals can assess different parts of the picture.
Where does an airway-focused dentist fit in?
This is where my role may be a little different from the dental examination parents are used to.
Teeth are important, but they are only one part of a much bigger functional system. During an Airway & Myofunctional Assessment, I look at areas including:
breathing patterns
tongue resting posture and function
lip seal
swallowing patterns
jaw and TMJ function
bite and dental development
oral muscle function
facial growth and development
relevant head and neck posture
sleep-related signs and symptoms
The aim isn't to diagnose every possible cause of snoring from a dental chair.
It is to identify the findings within my scope, understand how they may fit together and determine whether input from other professionals, such as ENT, may be appropriate.
When should I seek help for my child's snoring?
Consider seeking professional advice if your child's snoring is regular, persistent or accompanied by other concerning symptoms, particularly if you are noticing mouth breathing, disrupted sleep, breathing pauses or gasping.
If you witness your child having significant difficulty breathing, seek appropriate medical advice promptly.
See the whole picture. Understand what matters. Know what to do next.
Take the next step: Book an Airway & Myofunctional Assessment or Discovery Call
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Dr JJ
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